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1. Il faut la glisser. [il fo la gli.se] You have to slide it. You’ll need this whenever you go to make a purchase with your American credit card. The credit cards there all have a chip in them, with a pin number attached, and chances are your credit card is of the magnetic strip sort. This is probably the… Read more →

1.Amélie

The Draw: A love letter to Montmartre, Paris’ art/bohemian district, as told through the eyes of one of cinema’s most bewitching ingénues.

The Fact: Yes, the views from the top of Sacré-Coeur really are that spectacular — even without Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s ambitious color correction.

The Fiction: The new owners of Café des Deux Moulins have done some remodeling. So you can still dig into crème brûlée, but don’t plan on buying a packet of smokes on the way out.

2.Heartbreaker

Via Universal Pictures International

The Draw: Alex (Romain Duris) is a nice guy with a dirty job — breaking up unhappy relationships. His mission: Accompany Juliette (Vanessa Paradis) to Monaco and prevent her from marrying her English boyfriend.

The Fact: Here’s hoping Alex is paid well for his work. A noted tax haven, the cost of living in Monaco is not for the faint of heart.

The Fiction: In one of the world’s most beautiful principalities, who takes that long to fall in love with Romain Duris?

3.Romantics Anonymous

Via Pan-Européenne

The Draw: Two pathologically shy chocolate makers fall in love. Can they keep it together and launch a new product line?

The Fact: France is a chocoholic mecca. (Names of note: Abanico, Valrhona, Richart.)

The Fiction: Belgium would dispute the superiority of French chocolate.

4.Populaire

Via Les Productions du Tresor

The Draw: It’s 1958. A suave older man (Romain Duris) takes a younger village girl (Déborah François) under his wing with the hopes of turning her into the world’s fastest typist. It’s basically My Fair Lady en français.

The Fact: A fairly accurate representation of fashion and life in 1950s France. Who wouldn’t want to live in a time when typing competitions were en vogue?

The Fiction: None. We’re choosing to live in the world, kitsch be damned. Bye-bye, 2014.

5.I Do

Via Mars distribution

The Draw: A fussy middle-aged bachelor gives into pressure from his overbearing mother and sisters to marry. He hires Charlotte Gainsbourg to be the ultimate fiancée from hell. You can probably guess where this one is going, but it’s fun watching them get there.

The Fact: In France, marriages are only legally recognized if they’re performed at city hall.

The Fiction: The capital of the Paris perfume industry isn’t Paris, but rather Grasse, a small town northwest of Nice.

6.Two Days in Paris

Via Samuel Goldwyn Films

The Draw: Marion and Jack visit Paris after a disastrous trip to Italy. They may not be soulmates, but their long breakup over the course of two days features enough post-Woody Allen bon mots that you kinda wish they were.

The Fact: Jim Morrison’s grave in Père Lachaise really does draw that many crazy fans. The French hate it and often threaten to posthumously deport the musician.

The Fiction: No cabbie in Paris is that talkative.

7.L’Auberge Espagnole

Via Fox Searchlight Pictures

The Draw: A student from France travels to Spain to have the ultimate semester abroad. (And, oh yeah, learn the language too.)

The Fact: Only 10% of American students study abroad. (Really, guys? Look what you’re missing out on!)

The Fiction: None. The film about sums up the exchange-student experience. (Sorry Mom, Dad.)

8.Ne Quittez Pas!

Via France 3

The Draw: Félix Mandel is a spacey astrophysicist prone to flights of fantasy. But even he is shocked when he gets a call (collect) from his late father with one final request.

The Fact: 39% of France claims to have no belief in life after death.

The Fiction: We always imagined the dearly departed were more likely to send a text message.

9.The Fairy

Via MK2 Productions

The Draw: A treasure trove of sight gags, The Fairy is the story of, well, a real-life fairy that drops into a lonely hotel clerk’s life, grants him three wishes, and disappears. And that’s just act one.

The Fact: Like near-silent comedy? This film has the DNA of Mon Oncle running in its veins.

The Fiction: Don’t believe anyone who says magic isn’t real — the French have a strong tradition of fairy tales.

10.A Woman Is a Woman

Via Euro International Film

The Draw: When a stripper’s boyfriend vetoes the idea of having a child, she turns to the next best thing — her man’s best friend.

The Fact: Director Jean-Luc Godard had his romantic priorities in the right place, once famously remarking, “I don’t think you should FEEL about a movie. You should feel about a woman. You can’t kiss a movie.”

The Fiction: Anna Karina plays a striptease artist, but evidence suggests that she wasn’t comfortable with nudity. She turned down a bit part in Breathless, another of Godard’s films, because she’d have to take her clothes off.

11.OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies

Via Gaumont

The Draw: When the fate of the Middle East is at stake, who are you gonna call? France’s answer to James Bond, OSS 117.

The Fact: Recognize the two stars? Yup, that’s The Artist‘s Bérénice Bejo and Jean Dujardin in their first on-screen meeting. (Here’s to many more.)

The Fiction: As pointed out by IMDB: The film is set in 1955, but many of the cars we see are from the 1960s. Of course, it’s a farce — so take inaccuracies with a grain of salt.

12.The Intouchables

Via Gaumont

The Draw: A young man with a criminal record strikes up an unlikely friendship with his quadriplegic employer. Dare you not to cry.

The Fact: 5% of the profits from the film were donated to the Association Simon of Cyrene, an organization that creates shared living spaces for disabled adults and friends.

The Fiction: It’s hard to fault a film so heartwarming, and François Cluzet’s performance was certainly above reproach. But we would love to see more actors with disabilities.

13.A Cat in Paris

Via Gébéka Films

The Draw: A plucky cat living a double life comes to the rescue of his little girl owner when she’s kidnapped by a gangster. Toss this one on next time you’re babysitting your precocious niece. The Academy Award–nominated animated film features both beautiful depictions of Paris and a truly charming story.

Sébastien Pélegrin Sébastien Pélegrin is an art director of press magazines in Paris. Just when you think Paris can’t get any more stunning, you take a look at Pélegrin’s work. He beautifully captures traditional shots of Paris featuring the Eiffel Tower, and other lesser-known locations as well. Many of his shots incorporate the use of water for reflective purposes, and the results… Read more →

Are you a teacher or student involved in your school’s French club? As you know, finding fun activities and games centered on learning French can be difficult. That’s why we’ve rounded up 20 fun French club ideas to help inspire you. These games and activities will introduce members to both French language and culture. 1. Make a French Music Playlist Using Spotify or Pandora, create your… Read more →

Almost every region in France has something interesting to discover – quiet villages, stunning scenery, historical buildings lost in the countryside, beaches… …so before rushing to visit the most popular regions why not think about somewhere else for a change? You can avoid the crowds and still have a great time discovering the ‘real’ France! Plan your visit To help… Read more →

If you’re planning a trip to Paris, you might also want to consider where you’ll be snapping your soon-to-be most-liked photos on Instagram. After all, if you don’t Instagram it, did it really happen? It’s taken me one year and four trips to the City of Lights to discover all of the best spots that make for the best shots (see some… Read more →